Sociology Chap. 7

The ability to exercise influence on political institutions and/or actors to realize personal or group interests is referred to as

Political power

The official poverty threshold for a family of four in 2013 was about _____.

$24,000

Class position at birth influences one's _____, the opportunities and obstacles the person will encounter in education, social life, and work that affect social mobility

life chances

Areas that lack places that sell competitively priced, healthy, and fresh food are referred to as:

Food deserts

Theories influenced by Marx's ideas have fallen out of popularity as there are now more than two major classes and conflict between owners and workers has been mediated by unionization. T/F

False

Which of the following is not necessarily associated with a higher degree of status or prestige in the minds of the public? a. Family background b. Contribution to public welfare c. Higher educational level d. Earning an exceptionally high income

Earning an exceptionally high income

_____ refer to people who share a common characteristic without necessarily interacting or identifying with one another.

Social categories

A disparity in income, wealth, power, prestige, and other resources is referred to as

Social inequality

The upward or downward status movement of individuals or groups over time is referred to as:

Social mobility

The systematic ranking of different groups of people in a hierarchy of inequality is referred to as:

Social stratification

As many families moved to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s, jobs eventually followed, contributing to _____ between jobs in the suburbs and potential workers in urban areas.

Spatial mismatch

As of 2011, about what percentage of the population did not have health insurance?

15

A society in which personal success is based on talent and individual effort is referred to as:

Meritocracy

_____ status refers to social position linked to one's acquisition of socially valued credentials or skills, while _____ status refers to social position linked to characteristics that are socially significant but cannot be altered.

Achieved, ascribed

The standards by which the official U.S. poverty line is determined each year are carefully examined to reflect actual expenditures and income requirements of the average American. T/F

False

A person's economic position in society, based on differences in income, wealth, and occupation, is referred to as:

Class

Caste societies are considered _____, while class societies are considered _____

Closed; open

According to most measures, income inequality has steadily decreased since the 1970s T/F

False

Class stratification in modern capitalist societies resembles a pyramid, with a large number of poor people at the bottom and successively smaller numbers in the upper tiers of more economically advantaged members. T/F

False

In the United States, there are few barriers to upward social mobility. As long as someone works hard enough, they can achieve middle- or upper-class status. T/F

False

In the postindustrial economy of today, the United States manufactures more of the goods it consumes. T/F

False

Most poor people just don't want to work. If they just took the jobs that were available to them, their wages would lift them above the poverty line to meet their basic needs. T/F

False

Social inequality and stratification is sociologically only understood in measurable, quantitative terms, such as income and wealth. T/F

False

Herbert Gans argued that the "functions" served by the poor have _____; that is, they could be fulfilled by other means than poverty.

Functional alternatives

A measure of wealth that excludes illiquid personal assets such as home and car is known as

Net financial assets

Sociological analyses of _____ have revealed a pyramid-like stratification system in the United States.

Power

Wright Mills believed that _____ in the United States was concentrated in the hands of a small "power elite."

Power

According to Herbert Gans, poverty will persist until it becomes dysfunctional for the affluent and powerful rather than just dysfunctional for the poor. T/F

True

According to one estimate, fully 43% of jobs created since 2010 can be categorized as "low-wage," paying $16 or less per hour. T/F

True

Data show that those with greater income and education are less likely than their less well-off peers to have and die of heart disease, diabetes, and many types of cancer. T/F

True

It is argued that the segregated United States during the Jim Crow era could be considered a caste society. T/F

True

Karl Marx argued that the relationship between workers and capitalists was interdependent; that is, they relied on each other to survive in a capitalist system. T/F

True

On average, white households hold 20 times as much wealth as black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households T/F

True

The value of everything a person owns minus the value of everything he or she owes is referred to as

Wealth

Which of the following households has the highest levels of the poverty? a. Female-headed households b. Black families c. Latino families d. Married couples

a. Female-headed households

Which of the following would be considered a blue-collar job? a. Floor mechanic at a mill b. Nurse c. Investment banker d. Salesperson

a. Floor mechanic at a mill

Which of the following best represents an occupation with high prestige or status, but low income? a. Teacher b. Doctor c. Lawyer d. Congressperson

a. Teacher

According to Karl Marx, the _____ own the means of production, which they use to exploit the labor of the _____.

bourgeoisie, proletarians

Which of the following is not an explanation for the growth of inequality? a. Labor demands have changed and workers with more education are more highly valued, while those with little education are becoming less valued. b. The service sector jobs that have replaced manufacturing jobs have lower pay scales and fewer benefits. c. More women are working, which means there are fewer jobs for men that pay "bread-winner" salaries. d. Many minimum wage workers earn below or just barely above the official poverty line.

c. More women are working, which means there are fewer jobs for men that pay "bread-winner" salaries.

Which of the following is not characteristic of a class society? a. Social level is determined largely by economic status. b. Social mobility is encouraged. c. Social level is based on ascribed, rather than achieved, characteristics. d. Social level is influenced by parent's social level.

c. Social level is based on ascribed, rather than achieved, characteristics.

Which of the following is the best sociological definition of income? a. An individual's yearly salary b. Wages, tips, and other compensation c. The amount of money a person or household earns in a given period of time d. The value of everything a person owns, minus the value of everything he or she owes

c. The amount of money a person or household earns in a given period of time

Which of the following is not characteristic of service sector occupations? a. They have increasingly replaced manufacturing jobs as the primary employment for those with less education. b. They are less likely to offer benefits such as medical or dental insurance. c. They typically offer a "living wage" rather than just a minimum wage. d. Retail and restaurant workers often do not have paid sick days.

c. They typically offer a "living wage" rather than just a minimum wage.

Which of the following is not characteristic of a caste society? a. Social levels are closed. b. Social level is determined at birth by characteristics that largely cannot be changed. c. Social mobility is very rare. d. Caste society is based on achieved, rather than ascribed, characteristics.

d. Caste society is based on achieved, rather than ascribed, characteristics.

Which of the following is not considered income? a. Disability checks b. TANF or other public assistance benefits c. Tips d. Home equity

d. Home equity

Which of the following is not characteristic of the U.S. official poverty line? a. It is the dollar amount set by the government as the minimum amount of money needed to meet the basic needs for a family. b. It is based on a 1950s estimate that the average family spends about one-third of its income on food. c. There is no adjustment made for where people live or varying costs of living. d. It includes non-cash benefits such as food stamps and public housing vouchers.

d. It includes non-cash benefits such as food stamps and public housing vouchers.